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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 5732399" data-attributes="member: 2067">Well, that's right about what 4e thought about the roles when adopting them.But there's a few problems.<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Roles describe your place in combat, but they don't describe your place in the adventure. The game not being about combat exclusively, a combat roles system makes the game seem mostly about combat. More traditional D&D roles were the roles of the character in the adventure: the cleric talked to folks (and helped out others when they failed), the fighter killed things, the rogue explored ahead of the group, and the wizard figured out what the dragon was weak against and what path to take in the maze.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> "Everyone Wants To Be A Striker." Damage is fun and effective and everyone gets to deal it and wants to deal it, so strikers become the sexiest classes and the sexiest abilities and the "support" roles (everything other than the striker) get marginalized.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> You still need someone of each of the 4 roles to make a "balanced party," forcing a player to often choose a class or character they're not as interested in just to balance out the party's role system. This is pretty undesirable. If the characters could shift back and forth in roles depending on the given round in combat (or whatever), that would make combat more tactical and interesting, while allowing a player to play whatever character they wanted.</li> </ol>I'd prefer a system where a character could swap combat roles each turn, and where the role you played in the adventure was more important than the role you played in the combat minigame portion of the adventure. Maybe something like:Role StanceAs a minor action, choose your role from the list below. You gain the benefits of the role you choose until you choose another role.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Medic: At the end of your turn, one ally within X squares of you gains Y hit points.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Guardian: At the end of your turn, one enemy within X squares of you is provoked (-2 penalty to hit any allies)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Ravager: At the end of your turn, one enemy within X squares of you is vulnerable (+Y to damage rolls against them)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Strategist: At the end of your turn, one enemy within X squares of you is cursed (-2 penalty to defenses). </li> </ul>Certain classes then have mechanics that key off their stance. For example, Fighters might be able to deal damage to provoked enemies that hit allies, and Paladins might also grant a defense bonus with their medic hit point power.</blockquote>

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